TENNIS PREMIER LEAGUE (TPL) held its Season 7 Player Auction on Thursday in Mumbai, with tennis icons Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and Mahesh Bhupathi in attendance, alongside league co-founders Kunal Thakkur and Mrunal Jain. The event saw franchises fiercely bidding to assemble their squads ahead of the season, scheduled from 9 to 14 December at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The top bids went to Indian doubles specialists Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli, both fetching Rs 12 lakh, making them the joint-costliest players of the auction.
SG Pipers Bengaluru, led by doubles legend Rohan Bopanna, secured Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, India’s No. 2 singles player who recently won the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group 1 for India, for Rs 8.6 lakh. The franchise also picked up Ramkumar Ramanathan for Rs 7.2 lakh.
Defending champions Hyderabad Strikers, led by Arthur Rinderknech (World No. 54), engaged in a tense bidding battle to acquire French youngster Carole Monnet (World No. 205) for Rs 10.6 lakh. They also retained doubles ace Vishnu Vardhan for Rs 6 lakh.
GS Delhi Aces, led by marquee player Tomas Martin Etcheverry (World No. 58), landed Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas (World No. 168) for Rs 11 lakh after an intense contest against Gujarat Panthers and Hyderabad Strikers. The team also added experienced doubles specialist Jeevan Neduncheziyan for Rs 6 lakh.
Gurgaon Grand Slammers, led by Corentin Moutet (World No. 38), acquired Spanish veteran Nuria Parrizas Díaz for Rs 6 lakh, with the highlight being the signing of Sriram Balaji for Rs 12 lakh, matching the top bid of the day.
Chennai Smashers, featuring Czech star Dalibor Svrcina (World No. 91) as their marquee player, added Irina Bara for Rs 6 lakh and made a major move for doubles specialist Rithvik Bollipalli (World No. 71), also for Rs 12 lakh.
Yash Mumbai Eagles, anchored by Bosnia’s Damir Džumhur (World No. 67), roped in Mariam Bolkvadze and Niki Poonacha, both for Rs 6 lakh.
Gujarat Panthers, led by Alexandre Muller (World No. 39), acquired Nuria Brancaccio for Rs 10 lakh following a spirited bidding contest, alongside doubles player Anirudh Chandrasekhar, currently at a career-high doubles ranking of 87, for Rs 7 lakh.
Rajasthan Rangers, spearheaded by Luciano Darderi (World No. 29), the highest-ranked player in this year’s league, picked up Anastasia Gasanova for Rs 6 lakh and Dhakshineswar Suresh for Rs 7.5 lakh.
The Tennis Premier League Season 7 is powered by Clear Premium Water, with Yonex Sunrise as the official equipment partner and Sofitel as the auction venue partner. BookMyShow will handle ticketing, while Magnum SX Wellness joins as the official wellness partner, ensuring a premium experience for players and fans alike.
TPL co-founder Kunal Thakkur said, “Season 7 has truly raised the bar for the league. Seeing franchises compete fiercely to acquire top talent both Indian and international, shows the growing quality and competitiveness of TPL. Fans are in for an electrifying season of high-level tennis and thrilling action.”
TPL co-founder Mrunal Jain added, “The energy in the auction hall affirmed the excitement around our seventh season. Franchises have built strong, balanced squads and with such high-calibre acquisitions, this year promises to be our most entertaining and closely contested edition yet.”
